To be honest I had never heard about the organization and when I saw a friend had been tagged in the event, I actually thought it would be in New York. I later found out through the same friend who was tagged that it was happening in Memphis and she thought it would be a great event for me to attend as an emerging designer. Lesson: Recognize those people in your corner who see something in you and work on encouraging you to bring out your best.
The event was held at Clayborn Temple in downtown Memphis and this venue was pivotal in the civil rights movement. Dr. Martin Luther King spoke here several times and this was where the Memphis sanitation workers would meet for community and strategy meetings. They eventually went on strike and marched from the Clayborn Temple to City Hall. (sitting where history happened)
The event included 3 sessions, breakfast with Mikki Taylor, Editor at Large of Essence, and mini-conference featuring secrets of the fashion industry with fashion insiders. The event was concluded with a fashion show featuring Memphis Designers Tiena, The Gift Wrap, Demi Blvck, Black Cholo of immortal ink, Undra Duncan an emerging New York Fashion designer and Korto Momolu (pronounced Cut.Toe) from Project Runway season 5.
I was highly impressed by the quality, finishing, and designs of each line. My favorite was Tiena because her fashion was more transferable to real life Love it. The breakfast with Mikki was very insightful and she was an absolute well of knowledge and very humble. These were a few nuggets gleaned from her and the rest of the pictures of the event.
- You start living when you get out of your own way
- We need to recognize our value, when we know that, you operate differently in the world
- Teach others how to treat you because you know how to treat yourself.
- Struggle is a great teacher
- You learn more in the valley than the mountaintop
- Don't just go through grow through
- Stop living in the shadow of who you are meant to be.
- life is not a dress rehearsal, you might as well step out on to the stage
- Beauty is the perfection of a divine point of view
- Learn to leave your shy self at home. Leave your fearful self at home so your powerful self can thrive
- You can't expect someone to invest in what you won't fully expose
- Your comfort zone is really small and not that comfortable
- Stay humble and remember who gave you your gift
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| Me Korto and Undra |
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| Headwrap Queens from Gift Wrap |
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| Me and Mikki Taylor |
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| Me and Brandis Founder of HFR |
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| Mosiah or Mo's Bows featured on Shark Tank |
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| Me and Korto |
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| Dress made by me |
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| Desiree styling in a Holiday Kimono by Monde's Threads |
